Mind of the Enemy
by Peneia Teke
Summary: YGOxYYH After Malik Ishtar defeats Yuugi in the final battle, he targets Anzu as his next victim. With no friends left to turn to, Anzu must put her faith in a group of strangers who seem to know more than they're letting on. But will they be enough?
1. Ominous Beginings

**Author Notes**: Hey! I'm back with a new story! I wanted to put this up yesterday for my birthday and for the fact that it was a snow day (I didn't even know colleges gave snow days), but the site wasn't working. This is a Yu-Gi-Oh! YuYu Hakusho crossover, and because 4kids has tried to Americanize YGO a little too much, I'm using the Japanese names and phrases, instead. It'll take place after the final duel of Battle City and after the Dark Tournament.

_Note_: In Japanese names the last name is first and the first name is second

Tea Gardner: **Mazaki Anzu**  
Serenity Wheeler: **Kawai Shizuka**  
Marik Ishtar: **Ishtar Malik**  
Yugi Moto: **Mutou Yuugi**  
Joey Wheeler: **Jounouchi Katsuya**  
Tristan Taylor: **Honda Hiroto**  
Duke Devlin: **Otogi Ryuji**  
Mai Valentine: **Kujaku Mai**  
Mokuba, Kaiba, and Bakura's names remain the same.

_Note_: The YGO gang will refer to Malik as Yami no Malik, but everyone else will call him Malik-sama.

**Disclaimer**: I don't own Yu-Gi-Oh! or YuYu Hakusho.

* * *

**Chapter One: Ominous Beginnings**

* * *

"See you tomorrow, To-chan!"

Nineteen year old Jounouchi Tomoaki flinched slightly at the given nickname he absolutely _despised_ before craning his head around to give the speaker an odd look. "Uh, goodbye, Hasumi-san." He turned back to his cleaning, relaxing only after he'd heard the front door slam a little too zealously. The girl, Hasumi, was the younger half-sister of his employer, Umihiko-san. Because of that, Tomoaki continued to treat her with respect despite her flirtatious advancements toward him that made working with her slightly awkward. Umihiko-san was a friend of the family and had offered Tomoaki a position in his restaurant following the death of his father a year ago. Tomoaki accepted and dropped out of high school to help support his family. Now, with work so hard to come by, he was thankful for the kind hearted Umihiko-san as he doubted he'd have found work anywhere else.

With a tired sigh, Tomoaki rinsed his rag in one of the kitchen sinks and trudged out through the dining hall to the back door. The sky was dark as he left the building and an ominous breeze caused goose bumps to rise on his arms. The temperature had dropped at least fifteen degrees since he'd left for work that morning, and he ducked his head against the cold, chastising himself for forgetting a sweatshirt.

As he trudged along the busy metropolis of Domino City, tuning out other pedestrians and bicyclists that shared the streets with him, he began to reflect on the sad state his family and friends-the entire Japanese district-had recently undergone, and all because of one man. Ishtar Malik.

Tomoaki stared solemnly down at the sidewalk as he recalled the first time he'd heard the name. He'd been watching _the_ duel on his small black and white television between Malik and the famed duelist Mutou Yuugi. He hadn't witnessed the conclusion since the reception had been blocked half way through the duel, but he later learned that Mutou had lost. He'd also learned (sooner rather than later) that Malik-sama was a madman, one bent on world conquest and who had the tools and intelligence to make his twisted dreams a reality... and everyone else's a living hell.

Since then, his life had slowly spiraled out of control.

Malik's henchmen, known to the general public as 'Ghouls' had swarmed to cities like Domino, threatening or blackmailing dozens into becoming part of his ever growing army. Many of those who refused to agree with his terms ended up dead or in states of hysteria that left medics baffled.

There'd been some minor resistances in the beginning, but the majority of the Domino population had turned an ignorant eye on what was going on until it was too late to do anything to stop him.

Tomoaki didn't know what had become of some of the top duelists like Kujaku Mai or Bakura Ryou, but Mutou Yuugi had been presumed dead since the final duel, Kaiba Seto had disappeared, and Katsuya… well, Tomoaki didn't want to think about what had happened to his cousin. He'd been found at the top of Kaiba's dueling tower with a hole punctured through his throat.

That had been three months ago.

As Tomoaki approached his family's small apartment complex he froze, having the distinct feeling of being watched. He scanned the area suspiciously and shuddered as the chill air seemed to drop another several degrees. Then he quickly entered the building. He trudged down the dilapidated hallway and stopped before room 104, glaring disdainfully at the mold that had begun to spring up in the cracks in the door frame. Pulling out a key from his pant pocket, he quietly unlocked the door and stepped inside the dark interior of the living room. "Hello?" he called, closing the door behind him. "Anyone home?" Sighing, he tossed his keys onto the table and heaved himself down onto the couch, having decided his mother and sister must be out.

"Tomoaki?"

He started at the voice and turned to see the form of his younger sister, Erika, standing in the doorway. The expression on her face was one of carefully masked anxiety, but Tomoaki could clearly see fear etched in her bright, brown eyes.

"Erika... What's wrong?"

She looked toward the door and back at him, fidgeting nervously with her hands. "Tomoaki... They're here in this building... right _now_."

"Who's here?" Tomoaki asked carefully, though deep down he already knew.

"Ghouls," she whimpered, "Mother said to keep the lights off and stay quiet. She said they'll leave us alone if we don't cause trouble."

Tomoaki was trying to overcome his shock that the Ghouls would come to his quiet apartment complex. "What do they want?" he asked.

Erika shook her head. "I don't know. I think they're looking for something. They've been here all afternoon."

They were interrupted by a loud crash and the scuffle of many pairs of shoes on the tiled floor above, making their way to the stairs. Someone screamed and Tomoaki's eyes darted forward as a shadow moved past the door, blocking the light filtering in from the hallway. Both teens jumped, peering anxiously at the door as the knob began to rattle. "What do we do?" the blonde haired girl breathed, clutching her brother's sleeve tightly.

"We don't do anything." Tomoaki jerked his head toward the door. "Whatever happens, Erika, don't say anything."

"Open up! Orders of Malik-sama!"

Suddenly, the door was knocked off its hinges and six cloaked men burst into the room. They each had similar dark purple cloaks with odd shaped eyes engraved in the hoods, giving Tomoaki the impression of a cult sign. Gold chains dangled from the material over their chests, and their eyes glowed eerily in the darkness.

The first Ghoul, apparently the leader, stopped short and glanced at Tomoaki with narrowed violet eyes. "You three," he gestured, without taking his eyes off the older teen, "search for further occupants." They nodded and strode off to do his bidding.

Tomoaki made to take a step forward but froze when the leader barked an order. "Don't move, boy," he warned lightly, "You wouldn't want anything _bad_ to happen to this girl, would you?" His eyes narrowed at one of the remaining two Ghouls who grinned and grabbed Erika by the arms, forcing them at an unnatural angle and throwing her to the ground. She struggled, but he pulled her hair back and dug his knee into her spine, forcing a strangled cry from her lips.

"Erika!" Tomoaki cried, ignoring the leader's warning and running over to his sister. He rammed his shoulder into the Ghoul's side, knocking him off balance and leaned protectively over her. "Keep your hands off her, you bastard! You have no right to treat her like that!"

The violet eyed Ghoul wasn't impressed and stared down his nose at Tomoaki arrogantly. "Do you have any inclination as to whom you're speaking to, boy?" Tomoaki stared hard at the floor before he slowly shook his head and looked up in time to see him remove his hood.

Now, free from the restraints of the hood, platinum blonde hair fell around the ghoul's shoulders, though most spiked up wildly in every direction. A bright eye appeared on his forehead and his violet eyes glistened dangerously, watching the boy's expression in morbid fascination. "Malik-sama…" Tomoaki murmured, failing to mask his fear.

"I see. So you do know who I am," he mocked quietly. "I was beginning to fear I hadn't made enough of an impression…"

Tomoaki had often fantasized about the horrible things he'd do or say to Ishtar Malik were he to ever meet him in person, but now that he had…he couldn't move. Fear overtook the anger and hatred he had toward the man that had caused his family and friends so much grief. He could only stare up at him in horror, his body refusing to comply with the demands of his brain.

Malik brushed his robe aside and unhooked his Sennen Rod, fixing Tomoaki with a sadistic grin. He took a step forward as the teen scrambled to his feet and nearly tripped backward over Erika. Malik grinned, curious to see just how far he could push the boy's sanity. "Now, be a good slave and bow down to your master."

The oddity of the request seemed to shake Tomoaki out of his stupor, and he glared up at Malik defiantly. "No." The word popped out of his mouth before he'd considered the repercussions. "I will _never_ bow to you."

"Tomoaki, please!" Erika said, "Don't make him angry."

Malik narrowed his eyes slightly at Tomoaki's blunt disobedience and directed the rod toward the girl who'd just gotten to her feet. Tomoaki froze in indecision, uncertain if the rod he held was meant for intimidation or if it actually _did_ something. "Do it, now, or I will kill this girl," Malik hissed softly, violet eyes watching the boy intently.

Tomoaki's mouth opened in silent protest before he slowly knelt before Malik and lowered his head, glaring at his knuckles which had begun to turn white. The blonde haired Egyptian watched the process with a small smirk. "Very good," he murmured as Tomoaki anxiously jumped to his feet and moved toward his sister. Malik adjusted his cape regally "Now, I understand you're acquainted with a woman named Mazaki Anzu. Where is she?"

Tomoaki refused to meet his gaze, instead studying the grain in the wood floor, so Malik used the edge of his rod to raise the teen's chin, bringing his focus back on him. "Answer the question," he repeated with a hint of impatience creeping into his tone.

"I don't know where she is," Tomoaki replied sullenly, "She hasn't been around here in months."

Malik's lip curled in disgust. "Hn. And you expect me to believe the words of an impudent fool, like you?"

Tomoaki clenched his teeth and turned his head away as hot tears began to sting the edges of his eyes. "She used to hang around with my cousin..."

Malik frowned and stared at Tomoaki for a long moment before his eyes lit up maliciously. "Ah, Jounouchi," he chuckled darkly. "Yes, I remember, him. The one who foolishly challenged me." He turned his attention to the Ghoul behind him who'd stiffened at the name. "You had a connection with him if I recall correctly."

Tomoaki's attention snapped to the Ghoul as well. "You knew him?" he asked in surprise. The Ghoul, however, remained silent.

"Remove your cloak," Malik commanded with a grin. "He wishes to see your face." The Ghoul glanced at his master and slowly brought his hand up. At the last second he hesitated, hand hovering mere inches away from his face. "Do it!" the violet eyed teen barked. He finally complied and removed the clothing, allowing the hood to fall onto his shoulders.

For a moment Tomoaki could do nothing but stare. "Honda?! Honda Hiroto!?" He gasped and his eyes widened in a mixture of relief and dread. "What... What are you...?" He blinked once, shook his head, and finally seemed to find his voice. "You've been here this whole time and haven't done anything?! What the hell are you just _standing_ there for?" His eyes darted from Honda to Malik and back to Honda in disbelief. "You have to stop this," he pleaded, his tone beginning to rise in desperation. "You know we're not keeping Anzu-san here! We haven't even heard from her since the Battle City Tournament! Please just..." He felt his stomach churn with dread at Honda's unresponsiveness. His brown eyes were dull and staring at the wall behind him, hands shoved deep in his cloak pockets. "Help us!"

"Shut up," Honda muttered bitterly, glancing to the side, "Begging won't help."

"But Honda-kun… What about Katsuya?"

Honda didn't even blink. "What about him?"

"Honda… What've you done to him?!" he demanded, turning back to Malik. "Katsuya-kun was his best friend, and he'd never side with the man who killed him! You must be manipulating him!" Malik growled and slammed the rod into Tomoaki's head, knocking him backwards onto the floor.

"_Tomoaki_!" Erika cried, moving towards her brother.

"Silence," Malik snarled, turning on her. His rod activated, and its magic sent her sprawling across the floor. She slammed into the opposite wall with a sickening thud. "I will do what I desire to you and your family, and you would be wise to accept your fate quietly," he snarled, attention back on Tomoaki.

There was a sudden knock on the door and one of the Ghouls strode in, bowing low as he reached Malik. "Excuse me, Malik-sama. We've apprehended a woman hiding in the other room."

Malik's eyes narrowed fractionally. "Is it _her_?"

The cloaked figure shook his head. "No, Malik-sama. She doesn't match the description."

Malik grunted and turned to cast a sharp eye on Tomoaki. "Then, perhaps she's a relative of the boy..."

"What will you have us do with her?"

The violet eyed Egyptian took a few slow strides toward Tomoaki. "Get up." He did as he was told and struggled to his feet, not wanting to be struck, again. Malik turned toward his servants. "Take this boy until I give further orders. He claims to know nothing of Mazaki Anzu's whereabouts, but I'm sure we can find other uses for him. As for the woman…do what you'd like with her."

The Ghoul nodded and bowed. "Yes. Thank you, sir."

As Tomoaki was being led out, Malik gave Honda a cool look. "Dispose of the girl," he said, nodding to the nearly unconscious Erika. "She's of no further use to us."

"What?"

"No!" Tomoaki cried from the doorway. He twisted around in the grip of his captive. "Fucking son of a bitch! You promised you wouldn't hurt her! You promised!"

Malik's barking laughter sent a chill down Honda's spine. "I don't often keep my promises." Honda cast a sharp look toward him, once again hesitating. Malik's sadistic grin slowly turned down into a snarl, and he narrowed his eyes coldly. "What are you waiting for?"

"I-is killing her, really...necessary?" Honda asked, looking over at the panic stricken Tomoaki, his best friend's cousin.

"That isn't your concern," Malik retorted nastily. "But your open defiance displeases me greatly..."

Honda eyed his master warily and lowered his eyes to the floor in defeat. He withdrew a hand gun from within his cloak and slowly approached the young, blonde girl. His whole body felt heavy and he had to consciously think about every step he made. He took her chin in his hand and raised the gun to her temple with a shaking hand, trying to tune out Tomoaki's screams of rage. His heart was hammering in his chest, and he felt an unmistakable clench of fear and guilt in his gut.

He'd never actually _killed_ anyone before.

Finally, after several long moments Honda lowered his hand and twisted his head around to look at Malik. "I-I can't," he stammered helplessly, feeling both fear toward his master's rage and giddiness inside that he'd out right refused an order and possibly saved someone's life. "I can't do it."

"Is that so?" Malik asked, his tone a deadly calm. "You know, I haven't toyed with someone's mind in ages." His lips turned up in a cruel smirk. "_She's_ so innocent... but I could easily change that."

Honda's breath caught in his throat, and he glared daggers, understanding Malik's innuendo at once. Turning back to the woman, he replaced the gun to her temple, and took a deep breath. "Forgive me," he breathed, closing his eyes tightly. "But... she's more important." Then he pulled the trigger.

* * *

"_Help me, please, someone! He's going to hurt me, again! Please anybody, help!" A young boy cried out as he tried to break free from his captor's iron grip._

"_No one cares about you, boy. You belong to us now," a rough voice growled. He grabbed the child's arm and twisted it behind him._

"_Argh! I do not! Get away from me you freak! Please help me, big brother!"_

"_Shut up, brat!" He hit the boy across the face and sent him reeling back. "Your brother is dead, and you will be too if you continue acting like this."_

"_I don't believe you," the little boy moaned, touching his lip gingerly where it had begun to bleed. "Big brother can't be dead. He'll find me!"_

_The man smirked. "Still fighting, huh? An insubordinate child like you needs to be taught a lesson." There was a flash of light and the scenery changed into a dueling arena where a woman was falling from a tower, her scream tearing through the silent night. _

A figure lurched forward from where he lay in his cot on the floor, the scream still echoing through his head. His brown hair was damp with sweat and plastered to his forehead. His breathing was ragged, and it took a moment for him to realize where he was. He put a hand up to rub his eyes, cursing softly under his breath. "Shit. Not again…"

* * *

Not far away, a figure with long, red hair sat partly enshrouded with shadow in the frame of his open bedroom window, gazing out at the full moon. A soft breeze blew the comforting scents of the forest to his awareness, and he closed his eyes to cherish the feeling. There was a reason he wasn't sleeping at this time of night. Something was in the air, something he couldn't quite detect but that enticed his senses. Something was about to change.

He didn't even stir when a second figure appeared next to him, quiet and stealthy as a shadow. There was a quiet moment before the red head spoke, choosing his words carefully. "What brings you here so late in the evening?"

"…Couldn't sleep."

The red head cocked an eyebrow and went back to staring out the window. "So, you sense it too." It wasn't a question.

"…Of course, I do." He didn't need to voice what they could both already feel.

"...Then you know what this means."

The darker one just nodded.

* * *

**Preview for Next Chapter**…. 

With Malik and his Ghouls hot on their trail, Anzu and Shizuka enlist in the help of a surprising source, but will he turn out to be a friend or foe? More will be revealed about the outcome of the final duel…

* * *

**Author Notes**: Well, I hope that was a good start. I don't know how many people will actually read this since Yu-Gi-Oh! is over and YuYu Hakusho has been cancelled, but I'll see what happens. I'm sure you're wondering what happened to Yuugi, Kaiba, and the others, but you'll just have to wait. Oh yeah, please don't hate Honda too much... there's a reason for the way he's acting. Please review! 


	2. Escape!

**Author Notes**: I'm back with the next chapter. I don't really have a good excuse as to why it's late. You know… life and all that. I was a little disappointed with the lack of response to the first chapter, but maybe this one will go over better.

This chapter is dedicated to **_Tea/Anzufan_** for being my first reviewer! Thanks for such an awesome review! It really gave me inspiration to continue this story!

_Notes_: In the Japanese version Yami no Yuugi calls Yuugi aibou or "partner".

* * *

**Chapter Two: Escape!**

* * *

There were four of _them_ spying on the darkness, waiting for their prey to make the first move. 

"Come on. This way," Mazaki Anzu whispered to Kawai Shizuka, her auburn haired friend. She took her hand and led her through a deserted ally way. They stopped and stood behind a wall, peering out into the street. It was almost too dark to see by, but Anzu could feel the presence of a nearby figure. She put a hand to her chest and felt the rhythm of her heart, racing a mile a minute. She hadn't been this afraid in months.

"Anzu-san, I'm scared," Shizuka murmured at her side.

"Yeah, me too."

"I wish my brother was here."

The brunette froze as a horrible wave of guilt washed over her, and she shook her head to drive it away. Now was not the time for regrets. "So do I, but we have to be strong for him. Now, please be quiet." _There's someone coming our way_. Her eyes widened fearfully as the sound of footsteps drew nearer. A shadowy form passed over the mouth of the ally and the soft sounds of gravel crunching under shoes stilled. The brunette pulled Shizuka against the wall next to her and edged in as close as she could. She was sure the person could hear her breathing.

She closed her eyes tightly in fear. _Please, please, don't let us be found._

The figure stepped closer. Anzu could hear the clunking of metal against brick. He was looking for them, checking all the dark corners. He paused for a moment, hesitating, as if debating what to do next. It seemed to Anzu that he didn't want to come in any further. _Make him leave_.

It felt like they'd been standing there for hours. Maybe they had.

Shizuka began to tremble, and Anzu put a comforting hand on her shoulder. _She's just as scared as me, but I can't allow her to give us away. We have to make it on our own. We can't let ourselves get caught. It's not an option._

"Anzu… Shizuka-chan…" The brunette froze as the figure, a man, spoke. The voice was a hoarse whisper but was instantly recognizable. "Listen, I know you're in there, and I know you can hear me."

"Otogi-san?" Shizuka murmured. She took a step forward, but Anzu tightened the grip on her shoulder, restraining her.

"What do you want?" She whispered warily. She couldn't trust him after what he'd done, not anymore.

As if he'd read her mind, Otogi's voice was pleading when he next spoke. "I'm sorry for all that's happened, but you don't understand what they're like. I _have_ to follow orders. Please…Anzu…"

"You betrayed us, your _friends_," Anzu hissed. His face was enshrouded in shadow, but she clearly saw him tense. "How does it feel hurting countless people for the sake of _him_?! How do you live with yourself? How can you and Honda even call yourselves _human_?!"

Otogi's lips quirked up in the briefest flicker of a smile before he slowly shook his head. "I can't. But somehow…somehow I'll make it up to you, to everyone I've hurt. Here… t-take this." He reached into his pocket and tossed something to her feet. Anzu picked it up and felt a pang in her heart.

"Yuugi…" She murmured hoarsely, voice cracking.

Otogi looked down at his feet and shifted uneasily. "It was always his favorite, wasn't it? It was the card he was known for." Anzu nodded, taking in the details of the Black Magician as tears began to form in her eyes. _If it wasn't for Malik, our friends would still be alive. If it wasn't for him_…

_The sky blackened and a harsh wind whipped around the figures huddled together as they witnessed the fall of their one last hope. Ishtar Malik laughed insanely as the last traces of Yuugi were swallowed up by the darkness. His screams of pain echoed across the tower and lingered even after he'd vanished._

"_Yuugi!" Anzu cried, slapping her hands over her mouth in horror. "No! Come back! YUUGI!"_

"_YUUGI-KUN!!"_

"_YUUGI!"_

"_Partner, no. Please…" the spirit of the Sennen Puzzle groaned, weak from his ongoing struggle against the darkness, the one struggle he was destined to lose. "Please, forgive me." He slumped to his knees in hopeless despair and allowed the few cards he had remaining to slip from his fingertips. They fluttered noiselessly to the ground. "I wasn't strong enough. I've… failed you." Then, because he no longer had a host body to reside in, his seemingly solid form began deteriorating, and he closed his eyes tightly, embracing the inevitable. **Partner… Everyone… This is my entire fault**. The Sennen Puzzle fell with a clunk to the ground along side Yuugi's deck. **I'm sorry…**_

"_NOOOOOOOOOO!" Anzu's scream echoed across the platform. _

_Malik roared with laughter as he stared at the spot the other Yuugi once stood. "Don't worry. You'll be joining your little friend soon." He walked arrogantly across the arena floor and picked up the puzzle, placing it around his own neck. Then he bent down and searched through the deck until he found the two remaining cards it had taken him seventeen long years to obtain. He tucked them safely away in his cloak with a barely concealed smirk. _

_For an instant, time seemed to freeze as everyone realized what was happening. Malik had won and both Yuugi's were gone. Forever. Even Kaiba stood in shock, unable to do anything but stare in horror. Something like this just couldn't happen. Good always conquered evil, never the other way around._

_Malik grinned wickedly and jumped down from the platform, approaching the group of teens who simultaneously backed away. "Well, well." He smirked. "The hated Pharaoh's gone, but what to do about his friends?"_

"_You asshole!" Jounouchi shouted, taking a bold step foreword. "How could you do something like that?!"_

"_Be quiet, Jounouchi! You don't know what he could do to you!" Honda's hissed warnings were ignored as the stubborn blonde balled his hand into a fist and raised it, glaring defiantly. Otogi shot a nervous glance at him but wisely kept his mouth shut. _

"_I'll never forgive you! Bring him back now, or I'll…" He was cut off abruptly as Malik shoved the blade end of the rod into his throat._

"_Jounouchi!" Anzu cried, "No, stop! Jounouchi!"_

_Malik ignored her, keeping his violet eyes trained on Jounouchi's fearful brown ones. "Are you volunteering to die first?" The blonde grunted in pain as a stream of blood ran down his neck, soaking his white t- shirt._

"_Let him go!" Anzu's head turned at the shout as a boy with shaggy, black hair came charging toward Malik._

"_Mokuba, stop!" Kaiba's startled command echoed across the blimp. "Don't go near him. Stay back, Mokuba!" He'd begun to jog after his little brother but was too late as Mokuba was already launching himself at Malik's back. "Mokuba!"_

"_Stop it!" Anzu screamed, again. In annoyance, Malik had swung around and struck Mokuba with his Sennen Rod, instead, leaving Jounouchi to fall to his knees. The young boy hit the ground with a gasp and struggled to stand as Malik continued to advance on him. Suddenly, Anzu lunged forward, latching her arms around Malik's neck and squeezing hard, effectively cutting off his oxygen supply. He caught her full in the stomach in his struggle to breathe, and she stumbled backwards, reaching out in panic and grabbing onto the Sennen Puzzle. It broke free from its chain and the sudden release caused her to lose her footing. She plunged over the edge of the tower. _

"_Anzu!" Honda and Otogi shouted together, racing foreword. They were too late._

_A scream erupted from her mouth as she fell, hands grasping at nothing. The faces of her friends vanished at an alarming rate and the rush of air in her ears deafened her to their cries. Her life seemed to flash before her eyes, and she briefly wondered what hitting the ground would feel like at this speed. Suddenly, the silhouette of a figure loomed overhead, and without a moment's hesitation, he dove off after her. Anzu's eyes widened in recognition as Kaiba's body neared hers, blue eyes focused and wild with intensity. Her last conscious awareness was of arms being wrapped securely around her before everything went black. _

_**Something hard… Can't move… Pain… Can't breathe… Head hurts… Darkness… Where am I?** The first thing Anzu felt when her eye lids fluttered open was an intense pain shooting throughout her entire body. She tried to sit up, but her back and ribs protested, demanding she cease her movements. She immediately lay back, allowing her entire body to relax. **Am I dead?** She scratched out that option almost as soon as it flitted through her head. Dead people didn't feel excruciating pain._

_For a moment, Anzu's head spun as she tried to remember what had happened, and then everything came rushing back with a vengeance. She remembered the fall from the tower, the terrifying feeling of her life flashing before her eyes, and…Kaiba. Everything after that was just a haze. Confused and disoriented, she blinked a few times to clear her vision and finally took a look around at her surroundings. It was dark, that much she could make out, at least. The duel tower looming above her was beginning to blur, and she shook her head to clear her vision. But… as she took a closer look something didn't seem right. She squinted and cocked her head for a different perspective; then her eyes widened in shock._

_In her disoriented state, she'd failed to realize that a large section of the dueling tower had been blown apart, leaving a gaping hole where the arena had once been. Pieces of cement and rubble lay scattered around the base of the tower, the dust still settling where it'd been stirred up. Anzu could only sit in shock as she stared at the destruction around her, wondering what had happened and preying that the others had gotten out alive._

"…Anzu?"

"What?" Anzu snapped out of her revere and blinked into the darkness, waiting for Otogi to continue.

He glanced over his shoulder, and when he spoke again, his voice was quieter than before. She had to strain to hear him. "You have to get out of here," he murmured. "Malik's determined to find you, and he's beginning to resort to desperate measures. All his Ghouls are out looking for you."

"Why?" Anzu moaned quietly. "He's won. What does he still want from us?"

Otogi glanced around again as if to make sure no one was listening. "I don't know but I'll… I'll do what I can to help you escape. I owe you…"

"Otogi-san." Shizuka tried moving forward again, but Anzu stopped her.

"Why should we trust you?" she asked darkly.

He winced at her angry tone and murmured, "You don't have a much of a choice." Then he turned and began walking back toward the light of the street.

"What are you going to do?" Anzu demanded.

"Don't worry about me," he replied, not bothering to turn back, "just get out of here. I'll find some way to cause a diversion." Then he paused in his stride. "Shizuka-chan." She looked up tearfully. "I'm sorry it couldn't have been different between us. Take care of yourself."

"Wait, Otogi-san…" she pleaded, but he was already walking away from the ally.

The two girls watched silently as he turned a corner, disappearing from view. Anzu could hear the soft droning of several voices. However, as the murmurs progressively increased in volume she could sense a certain tension hidden in the undercurrents of the conversation. She waited with bated breath, her heart beating rapidly in her chest. Otogi knew exactly where they were hidden. If he really wanted to, he could report them to the Ghouls. The voices grew louder and angrier and quick footsteps could be heard making their way toward the oncoming conflict.

"Come on, Shizuka," Anzu said suddenly, pushing the other girl forward. "We've got to get out of here, now!"

"O-ok."

Together they scampered from the ally and into the street, trying to remain as inconspicuous as possible. They didn't get very far, however, before a cold voice stopped them in their tracks. "State your names and business or I'll need to report you to Malik-sama for breaking curfew." The dark cloaked figure walked up menacingly behind them, and Anzu felt her breath hitch in her throat.

"Run, Shizuka!" She yelled, grabbing onto the younger girl's hand and dragging her down the street. The Ghoul started in surprise and pulled a gun from his cloak.

"Stop! Come back here!"

Suddenly, a loud shot rang out, and Anzu felt adrenaline course through her body as she shoved Shizuka behind some dumpsters. But it took them just a few seconds to realize the intended target hadn't been them but their pursuer. He was laying face down on his stomach, sickeningly limp. Time froze for several seconds before all hell broke loose, and many more guns went off. A huge explosion light up the dark sky, blowing several bodies into the street with its waves of heat. Otogi's slim body slumped over, before collapsing to the ground.

Shizuka gasped in horror and threw her hands to her mouth. "Otogi-san!" she shrieked, eyes widening in terror.

Anuz's eyes widened as she watched the smoke billowing into the dark, cloudless sky, the fire licking at its victims. "Oh, God…"

Shizuka crumbled to her knees, tears streaming down her cheeks. "No… Why did he… How could it happen this way?!"

Anzu wanted to comfort the other girl, but she knew they didn't have time to spare. "Come on, Shizuka. We have to go."

The auburn girl looked up in protest. "No! We can't leave him!"

"Shizuka-chan," Anzu said, speaking clearly and slowly to the traumatized girl. "We need to leave now while everyone's distracted. We may not get another chance."

"No! We have to help him! What if he's still alive?"

"He's dead, Shizuka," Anzu replied bluntly. "He risked his life so we could escape. We're the only ones left who can get help. Are we just going to throw away the sacrifice he made?" _How many lives are going to be lost before this all ends_?

Shizuka hung her head in shame, tears running down her face. "I… you're right. I'm sorry," she whimpered.

Anzu wrapped her arms around the other girl's shoulders. "Don't be sorry. We just have to stay strong… for everyone we've lost…" Shizuka nodded hesitantly and followed Anzu out from behind the dumpsters.

The two girls wound through the confusion of running bodies and toward the shadier side of the city. They snuck through isolated side streets, pass run-down buildings, and into more dark allies while suspicious faces peeked out at them from their windows. Anzu saw the shadow of a figure out of the corner of her eye and urged Shizuka to pick up speed. It felt like no matter how far they went they couldn't get away from _them_. There was always one of _them_ standing at the street corner or huddled in groups around the entrance of an abandoned building.

Together, Anzu and Shizuka ventured to the outskirts of town and finally into the cover of the forest. They crashed blindly through the foliage and stumbled down the forest paths. Branches lashed out at their faces, but they ignored the pain and continued forward. They couldn't see anything. The trail dipped and leveled, and Anzu heard Shizuka cry out in pain, but she knew they couldn't stop. They had to continue on until they left everything behind. They had to stop Malik before he did to others what he'd already done to them. Failing was not an option.

* * *

**Preview for Next Chapter**… 

Anzu and Shizuka head North toward Sarahasyiki City where they hope to find help. However, before they can get far they encounter a creature they only thought existed in their nightmares.

Enter Hiei: the human hating fire demon…

* * *

**Author Notes**: Sorry if any of that was confusing, but everything will be cleared up in later chapters. 

Now, please review. Even if you didn't like the story, tell me what I need to improve on, so I can make it better! Thanks!


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